Cook County Research Study Seeks African American Families with Children with Disabilities in Kindergarten

A research study on the impact of COVID-19 on the transition to kindergarten among African American children with developmental disabilities

This University of Illinois Chicago Department of Disability & Human Development study aims to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the school readiness process for African American families with young children with disabilities and the transition to kindergarten.

You may be eligible to participate in the study if:

• You are an African American primary caregiver
• Your child is an African American preschooler with a suspected or diagnosed disability/delay
• Your child has transitioned to kindergarten during the 2021-22 school year in Cook County

Study participation includes:

• Completing a demographic questionnaire
• Participating in two 60–90-minute (phone or video conferencing) interviews
• Capturing photos of your child’s transition experiences

Participants will have the option to have their interviews audio recorded.

The goal of the study is that the findings will help support families by developing culturally relevant resources and recommendations in navigating the school readiness process.

See the research study flyer for more details.

This research study is being conducted by disability studies doctoral candidate Jasmine Brown and her faculty sponsor, Dr. Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar. If you are interested in participating or have questions, please contact Jasmine at jpbrown2@uic.edu.

The deadline for participation is January 2022.